Level Up with Lacey

Salon owners… we’re going there today.
Because every December, we all have the SAME question running through our minds:

“What the heck do I even get my assistants for the holidays?”

How much is normal?
What’s too much?
What if money is tight?
How do you show appreciation without blowing your entire December revenue on gifts?

This episode breaks it ALL down- honestly, clearly, and with zero fluff.

Inside the episode, we dive into:

🔥 Why holiday gifts should never become a financial burden
🔥 What gifting looks like for small teams vs. bigger teams
🔥 Why intentions matter more than the price tag
🔥 What not to do (YES, there is a list)
🔥 What SMART gifting actually looks like and why it’s a total game-changer
🔥 The exact savings strategy we use inside Salon Lace so the holidays don’t feel heavy anymore

And because I love you… here’s a little sneak peek at one of my favorite SMART gift ideas:

As we head into Thanksgiving week, I wanted to slow things down… just a little. This season has a way of making us breathe deeper, notice more, and really reflect on what truly matters. Inside Salon Lace, we call it Gratitude Friday and today, I’m bringing that same energy straight into this episode.

In this heartfelt conversation, I’m sharing the things, and people who carried me, challenged me, strengthened me, and shaped me this year. From the moments that brought joy to the moments that nearly broke me… this episode is all about honoring the blessings that matter most.

We talk about the relationships that kept me grounded, the support systems that held me up, the growth that surprised me, and the hard seasons that refined me in ways I never expected. This one is honest, vulnerable, and straight from the heart.

This episode is a reminder to slow down… to notice what’s right in front of you… and to remember that gratitude isn’t just something we feel  it’s something we express.

If you listen to anything this week, let it be this.
Your heart might walk away feeling just a little bit lighter. 💛

Suggest Podcast topics here ⬇

If you’re juggling a full salon, a booked client schedule, DMs, team drama, color orders, laundry, walk-ins, phone calls, and somehow trying to remember to pee and eat lunch… this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale.

I know that feeling of having 462 tabs open in your brain while wondering, “Why am I so forgetful? Am I getting old? What is happening?”

You’re not alone. Every salon owner I know is asked to hold a thousand things at once and without the right systems, it’s impossible to keep up.

This episode is the one I wish I had years ago. I’m sharing the exact time management strategies, boundaries, and habits that truly SAVED my sanity and my business while I was still behind the chair. These are the tools that helped me stop drowning in overwhelm and start leading with clarity, intention, and confidence.

Why This Episode Matters

Time management isn’t just “being organized.” It’s the foundation of:

• Hitting your goals
• Leading your team
• Protecting your energy
• Keeping your business profitable
• Actually enjoying your life outside the salon
• And reducing that constant mental load you carry every single day

Inside this episode, I share my personal turning point, the moment I realized my lack of boundaries was costing me more than time. It was costing me memories with my husband and kids. I’ll walk you through how I rebuilt my days, my routines, and my mindset so I could show up fully for my family and my business.

What You’ll Learn

This episode breaks down the three exact strategies that changed everything for me:

1. My Ideal Week Framework:
How to plan your week around your energy, your responsibilities, and the work that actually moves your business forward. 

2. The Daily Big 3:
Why your 119-item to-do list is failing you… and how choosing three intentional tasks can completely change your productivity and your mindset.

3. Work Day Startup & Shutdown Rituals:
The rhythms that keep me grounded and help me start every day with clarity and end every day without chaos hanging over my head.

I also walk through my three non-negotiable boundaries (word-for-word), how we use ClickUp to stay organized, the power of saying “no,” and the tiny habits that create massive momentum.

If You’re Feeling Scattered, Overwhelmed, or Behind…

This episode will help you reset, refocus, and rebuild your time with intention. You’ll walk away with clear action steps you can implement TODAY to feel more organized, more productive, and more in control of your business and life.

How you use your hours determines the success of your business.

Salon owners who manage their time well not only grow their income and their teams, they create a life outside the salon they never thought was possible.

Links mentioned in this episode-

Do you ever feel like your team meetings last about two days before everyone slips right back into old habits? 🙋🏼‍♀️ Been there.

For years, I poured my heart (and hours) into monthly team meetings- snacks, agendas, motivation, the works, only to leave frustrated and drained. Everyone nodded, smiled, and then… nothing changed.

Until I made one tiny shift that completely transformed how my team communicated, followed through, and took ownership.
I stopped holding team meetings altogether and started doing monthly one-on-ones.

And let me tell you… accountability skyrocketed.

In this episode, I’m walking you through:
✨ What wasn’t working (and why traditional team meetings fail)
✨ How monthly one-on-ones created real accountability and trust
✨ The exact format I use for every single meeting (including the questions I ask)
✨ And why clarity and consistency always outperform motivation.

If you’ve been craving a team that takes action without constant reminders , this episode is your roadmap.

Four years ago, I made one of the scariest decisions of my life, I walked away from behind the chair. My books were full, the money was great, and from the outside, everything looked perfect… but I was exhausted. I knew deep down that if I wanted to hit big numbers and do big things, I couldn’t keep operating the same way.

Sometimes, you have to quit really cool, money-making things to get to where you actually want to be.

This week’s episode is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at the five things I quit that helped me hit my first million-dollar year. These shifts didn’t happen overnight, but they changed everything about how I lead, grow, and think as a CEO.

Here’s a peek inside:
☑ The moment I quit doing hair (and how that single decision tripled our salon’s revenue)
☑ Why doing it all yourself keeps you small and how hiring the right help changed the game
☑ The uncomfortable truth about avoiding your numbers (and how data became my superpower)
☑  What happened when I stopped holding onto money so tightly and started investing strategically
☑ The costly mistake of “hiring anyone with a heartbeat” and how I fixed our culture for good

This episode will challenge you to look at what you might be white-knuckling in your own business, the things that feel safe but are actually keeping you stuck.

If you’re ready to make more by doing less, this one’s for you.

✨ Your permission slip: Quit something on purpose. Because once you do, the coolest opportunities start to open up for you.

🎧 Listen now and start thinking like the million-dollar CEO you’re becoming.